Vehicle-nut wrench.



No.737,140. I PATENTED'AUG.25,1903.

' P. F. RICE.

VEHICLE NUT WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED NOV- 19, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Mfr) e00 ea- I UNITED STATES Patented August 25, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

VEHICLE-NUT WRENCH.

srnorrrcnr ron forming part of LettersPatent No. 737,140, dated August 25, 1903.

Application filed November 19 1 902. Serial No. 132,011. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PERCY FITCH RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tustin, Orange county andState of California, have invented a certain new and Improved Vehicle-Nut WVrench, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for attaching and detaching nuts from vehicle-axles, although applicable to all shafts or axles provided with retaining-nuts adapted to be se-' cured on the threaded ends of the shafts or axles and retain in place a rotatable part with a suitable hub. f

The object of my invention is to provide means ad apted by the operation of the revolution of the wheel or rotatable part on such axle or shaft to release or fasten in place the retaining-nut.

A further object is to provide such means so operating automatically with the revolution of the wheel in simple, cheap, and durable form and which shall be positive and efiicient in operation and easily applied.

To these ends my invention consists in providing a wrench part adapted to fit within the hub or sleeve of the axle or shaft and over the nut and providing such part with means adapted to engage means provided on the hub, whereby the revolution of the wheel or rotatable part is adapted to rotate the wrench part and therewith thenut torelease or tighten the same, as desired.

More specifically, my invention consists in providing a wrench part adapted to fit over the nut and provided with a sleeve adapted to fit within the hub and means on the hub and sleeve, respectively, adapted to coact together, whereby upon the revolution of the wheel on the shaft said means engage and that I may, if desired, provide the slot in the hub and a pin on the cylindrical portion.- Instead of providing a cylindrical portion to ltis obvious fit within the hub I may provide the wrench part with a projection or projections to fit into or. against said hub and carry the means to coact with means carried by the hub. More specifically, my invention consists in the devices, constructions, and combinations hereinafter described,-and particularly pointed out in th e claims and will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure I is an end view of the hub of a vehicle in connection with my novel wrench ap- 1 paratus, the spokes being broken off and the wrench being sectioned. Fig. II is a side view of my wrench portion. Fig. III is a side view of a hub provided with my invention in slightly-modified form. end view of the device of Fig. II. 7

As shown in the drawings, 2 represents the hub of a vehicle-wheel,and 3 the spokes thereof. tion, the wheel being adapted to rotate on the shaft (indicated in dotted lines) and provided with the retaining-nut 4. An engaging pin 5 is provided ,on the interior of the hub. The wrench part is preferably made up of a nutengaging portion 6, adapted to fit the head of the nut 4 (I hereinafter term this engaging portion 6 the wrench )and the hub-engaging portion '7, which in the drawings is shown as cylindricalrin form and adapted to fit within the hub 2. This part 7 is provided with a T- slot 8, (shown best in Fig. II) into which the pin 5 slides as the wrench is inserted into the hub. 9 represents a suitable handle.

Fig. 1V is an inner These may be of any style or construc- As shown in Fig. III, the hub 2 is provided with a T-slot 8, corresponding to the slot 8, and the engagingportion '7, with a pin 5, corresponding to the pin 5. The two forms I deem equivalents, and I do not limit myself to the provision of the pin on the engaging portion; but may use either the form shown in Figs.- I or III, as desired. It is also obvious that the hub-engaging means need notbecylindrical, asa projection from the wrenclrinto the hub could be provided with the slot 8 or 'pin' 5, .as desired.

The operation is as follows: It being desired to remove thewhe'el for the purpose of oiling the axle, the axle is raised by a suitable jack, the wrench 6 is slipped over the loo head of the nut, and pin 5 slides into the slot 8. The wheel is revolved, the pin 5 sliding into the respective wing S and striking the engaging portion 7 carries the wrench with the wheel, unscrewing the nut 4. XVhen the nut has been entirely unscrewed, it does not fall onto the ground; but the wrench is retained in the hub, securing the nut therein.

The wheel is removed, if desired, the axle oiled, and then by revolving the wheel in the opposite direction the nut is again in place.

The wrench is readily removed and the oiling accomplished without the necessity of touching the nut with the hands, and as there is no possibility of the nut dropping there can be no reason for soiling the hands of the operator.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is"

1. The combination, with an axle, a wheel rotatable thereon and provided with a hub, anda retaining-nut for said axle, of a wrench adapted to he slipped over said nut, said hub and wrench provided with a coaeting pin and a pin-engaging slot, whereby the revolution of said wheel is adapted to revolve said nut on said axle.

2. The combination, with an axle, a wheel' rotatable thereon and provided with a hub,

said hub provided with a pin, anda retainingnut for said axle, of a wrench adapted to be slipped over said nut and provided with a slot adapted to slip over said pin, whereby the revolution of said wheel is adapted to revolve said nut on said axle.

The combination, with an axle, a wheel rotatable thereon and provided with a hub, said hub provided with a pin, and a retainingnut for said axle, of a wrench adapted to be slipped over said nut, said wrench provided with a portion extending into operative conjunction with said hub, and said portion provided with a slot whereinto said pin is adapted to engage.

4E. The combination, with an axle, a wheel rotatable thereon and provided with a hub, said hub provided with a projecting pin, and a retainingnut for said axle, of a wrench adapted to fit over said nut, provided with a portion projecting with a T-slot into which said pin is adapted to project, and a handle provided on said wrench.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of. two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, in the eountyof Los Angeles and State of: (Balifornia, this 14th day of November, 1902.

PERCY FITCH RICE.

\Vitnesses:

FREDERICK S. LvoN, W. H. FAUs'r. 

